The modernist studies research group is part of the Institute of the Humanities and has played an important role in extending scholarship on modern literary and material culture. We invite proposals on any relevant area but are particularly interested in projects that consider the relation between modernist culture and theories of intimacy, affect and the emotions. This may involve an examination of canonical writing by figures such as Joseph Conrad, Virginia Woolf, Marianne Moore, T.S. Eliot or James Joyce or an exploration of less well-known modernists such as Djuna Barnes, Lorine Neidecker, Gertrude Stein and Hart Crane. Likewise, we welcome proposals that seek to explore the material cultures of modernism. More specifically, we are interested in projects that consider the relation between modern periodical culture and what has been described as the ‘intimate public sphere’.

The University of Northumbria has a large and lively postgraduate community in the Humanities. Our PhD students benefit from generous research space and resources in the recently expanded Glenamara Centre as well as the new Institute of the Humanities. PhD students develop a portfolio of skills and competencies through the Humanities Training Programme, the Teaching Shadowing Scheme, the annual PhD conference and the Graduate School’s Professional Development and Research Training Programme. In addition,students are provided with a research allowance for conference attendance and travel as well as funding to support the organisation and development of research networks, conferences and seminar series.

English, the international journal of literary studies from the English Association is edited by a team from within Northumbria University, and successful candidates will have the opportunity to contribute to all aspects of the editing process. The journal sits within the new Institute of the Humanities, an initiative that brings together a range of disciplines to foster collaboration, innovation and cross-fertilisation.